


Avatar: Requests

by Stattic_Scribbles



Category: Avatar: Legend of Korra, Avatar: The Last Airbender
Genre: Gen, Implied/Referenced Child Abuse, ozai's shitty parenting, the obligatory the gaang find out about zuko's scar fic
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-07-23
Updated: 2020-12-17
Packaged: 2021-03-05 11:21:48
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 4
Words: 5,631
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25469959
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Stattic_Scribbles/pseuds/Stattic_Scribbles
Summary: A collection of Avatar the Last Airbender/Legend of Korra requests from my tumblr, requests are open there! Please send in requests to my tumblr, which can be found here:https://stattic-writes.tumblr.com/post/184300196529/guidelines
Kudos: 94





	1. Scar: Gaang

**Author's Note:**

> The obligatory the Gaang finding out how Zuko got his scar fic, my style

Nobody had wanted to leave the palace; everyone was still too tense; still too high on adrenaline even a week after the comet had passed.

Zuko had passed some small laws; the first in undoing the damage his family line had caused and very carefully crafting and slipping in the groundwork for bigger changes. Everyone knows they need to return home; return to the places they’re most needed. None of them make plans.

It’s only ten days after the comet; everyone’s getting ready to leave and Zuko makes plans to visit the prison. He discussed the idea with both his Uncle and Aang; also asking Katara and Aang’s advice on the justification of revenge. All three of them comment that revenge isn’t the answer, but finding your own path and own wants is the best option.

He doesn’t tell Aang and Katara why he was asking; just states it’s general curiosity. Iroh knows; which is why he makes a point of mentioning the prison where Ozai is held, and he just might let it slip Zuko is planning to visit at dinner once the Firelord had been distracted by one of the servants panicking at a slip up in meals.

The idea of him visiting alone doesn’t sit well with Aang and Katara, not with the conversation they’ve just had; Toph and Sokka are unnerved because they consider what going up against his sister was like; as does Suki. Hakoda is nervous for his children; knowing they’re going to force their way into the prison one way or another and while he’s pretty sure it won’t be a repeat of the boiling rock, he’s not keen to risk it; which is how he finds himself shepherding everyone towards the cell that Ozai is in. Zuko himself is alternating between walking ahead of everyone and folding himself behind his Uncle and Hakoda who naturally slips into the lead as well as deciding he’d rather have Iroh as his main company; especially since no one is going to attack them from behind.

Ozai is barely restrained; it’s not needed; not when the avatar himself is in the back of the cell; watching. Toph and Katara are also there, Suki and Sokka crowding the cell along with his uncle and Hakoda; who apparently had weaseled his way into the group when Zuko wasn’t paying attention.

Zuko is grateful his uncle had called them together, to have them even just in the palace was a relief to have them here was comfort he hadn’t felt since his uncle had forgiven him.

Ozai is standing, leaning against the back of his cell, a pair of metal cuffs securing his arms behind his back, chains on his feet.

“So the Firelord has graced me with his presence. To what do I owe the honor.” Ozai spits the last word like it burned his mouth and then laughs. Jumping to fully standing trying to tower over Zuko. His mouth twisting cruelly when Zuko flinches a little; the chains rattling give away that his father had moved as Zuko in turn moved to block everyone from his view.

“I’m not a child anymore.” His voice shakes. Ozai sneers.

“You still are mine. You haven’t learned anything in all these years have you?” Zuko bites down the anger and sighs.

“You’re going to tell me what happened to-”

“Your mother. That’s the only reason you’re here; not to thank me for the path I put you on; to give you the gift of life; to craft every step of your journey so you would end up here.” Zuko cringes back at his father’s words. The group’s faces are confused; save for Iroh; he knows that his brother would try to twist the torture into help.

“That Agni Kai was-” Ozai mocks a caring tone; Zuko snarls; fire leaking from the corners of his mouth.

“What happened that day was not Agni Kai! It is not mercy or destiny; it is nothing but abuse and for that alone I should make you suffer as I have.” Zuko’s hand suddenly turns blue, a glow mimicking the healing water; but it is flame licking around his fingers and hovering over his skin. He steps forward hand lifting and watches the way his father stands still.

“I won’t flinch away; not like you did, pathetic.”

“I was a child! I was only begging for forgiveness; I meant no disrespect!” The fire is still dripping from his mouth and his hand seems to glow more; but Ozai jerks; his body folding over, kneeling. Zuko pauses; watching the metal of the floor lifting and twinning to wrap the shackles on his wrists; his head is forced upwards. Zuko doesn’t notice; his fingers cramping, and his breathing jerking slightly as his eyes only track his father’s eyes widening with fear.

“Is that how I looked?” Zuko steps back, the fire vanishing from his hand. The metal from the shackles does not and Ozai’s eyes are still wide with terror. Zuko takes another step back and the excess metal leaves; slowly Ozai stands, his body moving sluggishly.

“Maybe later you’ll feel more up to talking.” Zuko steps from the cell and sways slightly. Still he and the rest of the group make it to the palace; everyone else is quiet, numbness settling in as Zuko’s words ring through the silent halls.

“Zuko…” Iroh doesn’t really say his name; just a faint murmur before Zuko turns folding into his uncle as he carefully kneels them by the turtleduck pond; the same spot Zuko had wandered to after the Agni Kai; after his mothers vanishing; after every bad thing that had threatened to drown him. The pond offers him safety, the turtle duck quacks and titters nervously around, crawling towards him and huddling on the side that Iroh does not take up.

Iroh nods and carefully places the small turtle duckling onto Zuko’s lap, as Aang, Toph and Katara sit next to him; Sokka and Suki take the spot that Iroh had and Zuko only makes a soft sad noise; that Sokka mistakes for a turtle duckling until he realizes it’s asleep.

“Zuko; how did you get your scar.” Suki’s voice is soft; and Zuko looks up swallowing and nodding slightly.

“My father… I disrespected the general; by talking out at a war meeting, against sacrificing a squadron of soldiers…To disrespect someone so high up, you must fight an Agni Kai to show respect; to show forgiveness in the defeat…” Zuko curls around the turtle duckling who makes a soft peep before its beak nibbles at his nose. His laugh is too damp.

“I agreed; I thought; I thought wrong; I was to fight my father; as I disrespected him. The war was his idea.” The mother turtleduck has joined her baby and they both let Zuko stroke their necks and soft underbelly feathers.

“He told me that suffering would be my teacher…. That I deserved it. If I was lucky that I would learn more that the scar would leave.” He speaks mostly to the turtle ducks and waits; he knows everyone will leave; the streak of fear; the internal scars his family had left leave him expecting abandonment.

“How can we help.” Katara’s voice is soft and Zuko finally looks up; none of them flinch at his scar; they just look upset for him, a foreign feeling to see in others.

“Help?”

“Yes; help you; heal, get revenge; whatever you need.” Aang interjects and Zuko furrows his brow returning his concentration to petting the turtle ducks in his lap.

“My uncle.” He suddenly sounds panicked; the realization that Sokka and Suki had not been on his side before this. He struggles to stand; trying to carefully place the turtle ducks back to the water despite them being perfectly comfortable in his robes.

“I’m just making some tea.” Zuko immediately relaxes; the muscles in his shoulders soften and he turns, eyes locating his Uncle and offering a small smile when his Uncle nods to the teapot he’s sitting behind.

“We’re still here.” Toph nudges his shoulder and Zuko swallows nodding.

“Just; maybe we could work on some more multinational diplomacy.. I’ve been thinking of some of the laws and different ways I’ve wanted-” Zuko starts his voice tinged with panic at confessing what he actually wants; his friends to stay.

“Well how about we discuss that tomorrow; and during the week; we could sit in on a few of your meetings; maybe get a feel for how you want things done here; and then bring that back to our homes; when we know what-” Sokka doesn’t finish the turtleduck letting out an frustrated peep as Zuko leans over pulling him and everyone else into a group hug.

“Thank you.” He mumbles before carefully placing the turtle ducking into the water so everyone can properly hug him.


	2. Avatar Katara AU

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Inspired by twinkecupcake's post on tumblr about avatar Katara

Katara is three when she learns how to bend for the first time. This is the same day she learns to lie. It’s a quick simple one; her mother repeats it over and over until Katara doesn’t believe anything else.

_I am not a bender._

Katara is four the first time a raid happens. Sokka is protecting her; the boomerang his father had given him for his birthday is raised as threateningly as he can make it. The Fire nation wants their Benders; they want to starve the child they’re looking for of knowledge. They don’t know exactly how old the child will be, but they know the child will never be a threat. They slip on ice when they are leaving; all of the benders aboard the ship.

_I am not a bender._

Katara is seven when the black snow appears again and they take another round of benders, they state none of the first ones knew what to say. This is the first time they take children, none of them are benders. But they were born the same day.

_I am not a bender._

Katara is nine when everything goes wrong. Her mother is lying, just like Katara does only the wrong way round. Her mother is telling her to leave so she swallows the burning lump in her throat and rushes to find her dad.

_I am not a bender._

The snow and wind that chase the fire nations ships away come from nowhere, the ice that cuts the hulls of the ships melts as soon as it comes in contact with the metal. Sokka keeps Katara cuddled up with him. Hakoda doesn’t notice her eyes glowing when she sleeps.

_I am not a bender._

* * *

When her father leaves is the last time she allows herself to lie. Sokka knows; he’d known probably for as long as she had; which is to say since she was born. He protects her, he protects everyone it’s what their father had told them to do. Katara practices, nervous at being spotted even though there’s no one to tell.

_I am a bender._

They find him in the iceberg; frozen in a pocket of air he’d created himself. His eyes shimmer gray and Katara has never been happier to see someone use bending when he lifts himself up. As if the Sky Bison was not a giveaway. She lies to him; a half truth she reasons.

_I am a waterbender._

He offers to take her to the north pole, before they go he wants to go penguin sledding. The fire nation ship alerts the others. A boy that could be Sokka steps out and snarls flames. Katara answers him with her own; unsure how she knew to do that; or why the flames that lick her lips are blue. Everyone is silent.

_The Avatar._

The terror hangs in the air long after they’ve left the fire nation ship. Sokka is quiet, and Katara knows the way his voice falls flat there is something very wrong. He snaps at her when Aang takes them swimming; he’s crying, and shaking and scared. He’s so scared for her; Katara swallows it all and holds him, her brother needs her, the world can wait.

_The Avatar has returned._

* * *

Sokka finds Suki and they decide to follow Aang to an earthbending teacher. The king is ancient and welcoming, but not who she needs. They travel onwards.

_The avatar is a child._

She meets the Avatar’s of her past, an Air monk who was in hiding; they offer her Roku as a proper teacher. He explains the comet, the danger coming, how the opposite to fire is what can quell the world's end.

_The Avatar is a child._

She reaches Hei bai; she calms him; she keeps the town safe; she does her job. She feels empty, she knows she needs more than she can take. She wants her mother. The Blue Spirit finds her instead.

_The Avatar is a child._

* * *

Zuko has to help her. He has to beat Zhao and if that means saving the Avatar then he will. She reminds him nothing of Azula; the only similarity is that when he wakes she is talking, soft words; but none of the threats, none of the violence. Only fear is what she speaks. He notes the blue spirit mask has been fixed, as well as the cut on his arm bandaged. He notices she runs off and he directs his men in the other direction.

_The Avatar is mine._

They find a water tribe ship. They find Bato. They find home. Bato welcomes them; he swears to secrecy that he won’t endanger their father by telling about Katara. He offers them supplies; gifts and trinkets from his ship, from home. They explain the ideas they have; the plan they’re following. Bato assures he’ll relay as much of it as he can without breaking the promise about Katara.

_The Avatar is mine._

They find the north pole. Sokka finds Yue. They find Pakku. He tears Katara apart. He refuses to teach her. Yue breaks; folding into Sokka and Katara knows they have to stay. If not for herself then for her brother.

_The Avatar is mine._

She fights; she scrambles tooth and nail to learn to heal. She's at every meeting, in Master Pakku’s sight at every moment she can spare. She is of the Southern Water Tribe and has the right to counsel. Master Pakku relents; after he traps her in a fight; after she shatters his prison with air.

_The Avatar is mine._

She has to protect the North Pole, the moon spirit is gone and all Katara can feel is drowning. Is her mother leaving once again. Yue is gone. Sokka needs her and she turns herself away from the world to him.

_The Avatar is mine. ___

* * *

The swamp holds secrets. It always has. Katara can feel the heartbeat of it; she can feel the way the trees talk and the water move. She can see her mom, see her mom turning away like she had on that day. 

_You should have lied._

They meet Toph; the blind bandit. Katara doesn’t tell her parents she’s the avatar, only that she would like to help, to heal Toph’s sight. Toph leaves with them that night. Howling with laughter that Katara is the Avatar. 

_You should have lied._

The library should allows her to research the Avatar State; to learn about herself, in the past. She lets Sokka lead the way, lets him show her an eclipse; a chance when her waterbending will be just as strong as the full moon.When the firebenders will be helpless. The Spirit screams at them, Katara knows they have to leave, she knows what Sokka has found will save them all. She tells the spirit as much and he pulls the library into the Spirit World, never to be seen. They lose Appa. 

_You should have lied._

The desert might destroy them. Katara tries to keep them together. Sokka drinks cactus juice and she knows she can’t blame him. She would have; if the Avatar state could be controlled. She knows she needs to learn more about it. She assures them they’ll make it out all together. 

_You should have lied._

Ba Sing Se is empty. There is something in between the city and the truth and she’s not sure what it is. She knows everyone can feel it. They search for Appa; the demand to see the King. Nothing changes. Jet returns. Katara feels nothing for him. When he fights for them she attempts to heal him; he refuses. She assures everyone they won’t see him again. 

_You should have lied._

She meets the guru. She learns of her chakra; she opens them. He explains about hatred; about anger; about negative emotions affecting her. She lets go of how she feels for Zuko; all of the hatred of her mother’s death flowing away from him. He asks her what she feels now for him, she doesn’t answer. He explains about material attachments. He asks her to let go. She has already let go of her mother. There is nothing left for her to need on earth. Her brother’s screams drown her. 

_You should have lied._

* * *

The Cavern shimmers. Zuko knows who she is. He sees the true her. She offers to heal him. He’s about to take it; about to side with her. But his sisters smile and the hissing of her lightning bring him back to reality. He can never be with the Avatar. He could never go home that way. Aang takes the lightning, redirecting it with his air. Katara is still struck, she faints. 

_You need to trust me._

She wakes on a fire nation ship. She’s about to launch an attack. But Aang is sitting by her bed, grinning. Sokka hugs her the minute she steps above the deck. They’re both crying. She knows she died. She learns of the invasion plan. That the Fire Nation believes Aang to be the Avatar, and that he is dead. They assure her this is the best thing that could happen. 

_You need to trust me._

The village is dying. She wants to rip the metal from the cliffside; but instead she dresses in robes, tries to connect to her Avatar State, to ask permission of the painted lady. Instead she heals as many as she can. Sokka is furious; everyone is bothered by her making them stay. She refuses to turn her back on people who need her; it’s her job, her duty, the reason she was born. She screams at them. Sokka’s reaction is immediate. I will always take care of you. He’s soft, gentle when he explains the reasoning behind the village suffering more. That the best they can do is leave. 

_You need to trust me._

Sokka finds Piandao. He learns the skill of swordsmanship. He learns to help in his own way, he learns to lie. He learns he is terrible at lying. That the Master knew; that the Master knows about Katara. Sokka learns his value. He is ready to die for his family, instead he is given a white lotus tile. He is only told to use it when needed. 

_You need to trust me._

She finds Roku’s past. She finds Sozin, she finds the devastation he caused. Sozin let his friend fall, even in training; he would always turn. Roku explains how she needs to learn this. How it can stop the mistakes of the past. She knew she needed waterbending when they had first met Roku had explained the importance of her water calming the fire that was spreading out of control. She learns of his death, of how deeply Sozin betrayed them. 

_You need to trust me._

She’s a defenseless lonely old lady. Katara feels a pull when they meet. She wonders if it’s a spirit thing, but pushes it off when they find a comb. When the woman explains how she knows they’re water tribe. Sokka is nervous; they’re careful in their mentions of the Avatar, but Hamma seems only interested in Katara’s waterbending. The full moon rises and Hamma assures her the technique she will learn will push her beyond any master. 

_You need to trust me._

The black sun arrives. Her own father is not aware of her power. She refuses to tell him. She understands her mother’s lies. She cannot bear to see her father hurt for her. For the fire nations want for her. They miscalculate and everything starts to crumble. Her father stays behind; the adults do; it is their burden to bear, they assure. Katara cannot tell him how she’s meant to protect him, how she’s meant to save the world. She forces herself to leave, to swear to save them. 

_You need to trust me._

She thought she had forgiven Zuko; that was before Toph’s feet had been burned; before she realised what her father would be going through in prison. She doesn’t linger on it. She needs to learn firebending; so she accepts. His fire leaves him. 

_You need to trust me._

They go to the first firebenders; they dance together; both ignoring the way they can hear each other’s heartbeats. They realize it’s the egg. They are told to meet the true masters; the warrior’s of the sun only guardians. They bow and dance with the dragons. The flames are cold and hot all at once; a swirl of colours neither of them expected. They leave holding hands. They leave with more understanding and the assurance that Zuko will help. 

_You need to trust me._ Katara is nervous about fire bending; about learning what killed her mother. Zuko offers a compromise. He will teach her if she comes with him. He does not say where. They break into a mail facility; they find a ship, he forces the captain to look at her; there is no fear in his eyes. Instead he gives a name. Katara still does not know who they are hunting. The man is snivelling. Zuko watches, he waits. Katara stiffens; the man shakes. He knows her, the daughter of the last waterbender. He is informed she lied. He is informed as the rain stops, frozen in air and forming a shield around them, forming daggers which cut his clothes but not his skin, the air chills him. The last water bender smiles, and the rain restarts. Zuko nods, they leave. The man still snivels on the ground. 

_You need to trust me._

* * *

The comment light is blinding. The lion turtle never told her it would effect her. _You need to trust me._

She’s not sure what to expect but when she confronts the Fire lord he’s grinning, laughing at the girl in front of him. _You should have lied._

She soaks him twice before he throws her against the rocks and she can feel the lighting hit spark again. _The Avatar is mine._

She grins, forming a shield of rocks and hiding, until she grabs him, forces him to his knees, grinning, barely using any effort as Ozai struggles against her. _The avatar is a child._

She circles him, her energy overcoming his, drowning him for a third time. She can see the flames. 

She knows Azula is slipping. She needs this. Azula’s grinning in the fight. Unaware what has just happened; only that the water bender has come to help. Azula grins as she fires. Zuko jumps in front of it and she laughs as the girl screams. 

She barely dodges the lighting. She watches her brother. Wracked with spasms he can’t move let alone bend. She looks again. The water bender is grinning, a snarl to match hers. Azula’s about to fire again when she can see the fire licking the water benders lips, feeling the swirling of wind that had not been there, the way the earth trembles and Katara stands and snarls. _I am not a bender._


	3. Avatar Yue Au

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> I saw somewhere that Yue was meant to be the Avatar after Aang had passed; it was why she was born sick/dying

Aang freezes himself in ice, the containment holds. Until there is a shift; until the ice folds under pressure and he’s screaming, inhaling slush and water and no air. He’s too exhausted to do more than send bursts of air into the water. He tries to grab Appa's reins; he fails. Aang sinks, cold and alone, unaware that he was the last airbender for decades. Unaware that airbending has passed with him. Appa flies from the southern waters, safe from the churning depths below. He is an animal guide without his Avatar. He knows he must wait.

* * *

Aang awakens in the Spirit world; he cannot bend. He finds the air nomads, he finds Gyatso, he finds home. He knows he must wait, that the new Avatar is safe, a waterbender. It takes him four years of time in the spirit world to contact Appa. He guides Appa to the Southern Tribe; the one closest to the water, he hopes the chief will understand.

* * *

In the north pole, Princess Yue opens her eyes and cries for the first time. Her eyes are gray and her hair is dark. She cannot waterbend. Her parent’s do not mind; they are simply happy to have their daughter alive.

* * *

In the south pole, Chief Hakoda finds an injured sky bison. Sokka refuses to let him kill it, although he doesn’t understand why he’s crying and begging his father to leave it alone. Hakoda feels the need to respect his son’s wishes. He refuses to house it; Sokka spends three days digging and crafting an igloo big enough for the creature. Katara helps. Her shaky waterbending enough to move the ice easily over their heads when needed.

* * *

Yue cannot waterbend but Master Pakku still teaches her the forms; ways to maneuver away from water benders; to stay on her toes and if she needs it, to defend herself from attackers. She pushes him away using too much air to be natural strength. He teaches her actual waterbending moves after that, she moves no water, but during every lesson the wind picks up and almost takes the breath from them.

* * *

Yue meditates; in the spirit oasis, her parents were advised of it when she was young. The elders had left, gone to the southern tribe for some unknown reason. Yue calls out to the moon and ocean spirits, a soft welcome; she’s greeted by another gray eyed child; the arrows on his head glow as her eyes do and she learns what airbending is; the gift she’d been given.

Yue meditates to talk to Aang, to learn from Roku and Kyoshi, to escape the smothering her family and the entire tribe want to give to her, she is a miracle princess; not the avatar, just their princess. She meditates and calls to Appa, to try to sense where he is, for Aang's relief, for her own. She finds him, she learns of the boy, a chieftains son, and his sister, a waterbender. She asks Appa to bring them to her. Aang makes her wait a few more years. She knows what would happen if any of the fire nation spotted an air bison.

* * *

The boy is taller when he shows up, his sister as well, they’re both protective of Appa, but it doesn’t matter when Yue runs to him, her eyes glow and she wakes up, in the boy’s arms, he’s watching her, sighing relief that she’s okay. She asks what happened and he explains meeting Aang, through her. She’s sheepish; apologizing, but she catches the way Katara, his sister watches her. She wants to ask why she is staring, that both her and Sokka are the Southern Tribes equivalent to her position in the royal family, they should not be surprised by a princess. They seem nervous still and she wants to say more, but her parents come. That’s when she understands; Katara is furious that Yue has been kept away from the world; that the Avatar has returned and no one knows beyond these walls.

Katara shouts, directing her anger at Master Pakku the man who after the wind had thrown him out of his stance during practice he refuses to teach Yue more, he refuses Katara as well but she fights back, she’s glaring and hissing, like a mink viper and Yue’s so relieved to have someone to stand up for her. Katara swallows and Yue knows she’s going to waterbend. She’s waiting, excited to see the water moving, she’d always been drawn to it. Master Pakku falls to his knees instead. Katara had already learned waterbending, not from a master but from a prisoner who had escaped, she learned what is the Southern Water Tribe’s bending specialty, bloodbending.

Yue doesn’t have problems with learning waterbending, Katara doesn’t either.

* * *

She kisses Sokka after her daily mediation. He’d taken it upon himself to guard the door to the oasis while she meditates, he doesn’t enter through the door, only opening it when she taps it to let him know she’s finished. She asks him why and he shrugs. She finds him that night, kneeling in front of the pool, watching the spirits circle one another. She stands and watches him, he doesn’t say anything, he reaches his hands towards the pool stopping, she watches as the two spirits cause ripples, until they run under his hand, he pulls back bowing his head. She can hear him crying.

“Who did you see?” He jerks his head upwards and she smiles warmly.

“The moon spirit; it’s said she was once human; did you see her form? She’s quite lovely.” Sokka nods, hands shaking, she can tell he wants to reach out again but doesn’t, she knows the spirits will not repeat this for him.

“Katara has already seen her.” Is what Sokka offers and Yue is confused, she knows Katara has never come to the Oasis.

“The human, the form the moon spirit takes was named Kya.” His vice shakes and Yue wonder how he could know this woman so well to know her name. Yue had not even seen her form till she was nine.


	4. Swap AU

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A random part of a Swap AU, Azula and Zuko taking Katara and Sokka's place in finding Aang;

“Father says that waterbenders will drown their own kind if they sense competition. It’s why there aren’t any southern waterbenders.” Azula grins at him and Zuko shivers. He knows she’s lying; his uncle had explained that the south was no longer safe to live in; that the Northern tribe had taken them in; had turned them into war fodder when the Earth Kingdom needed troops.  
They find the boy in the iceberg. His eyes are gray and he can barely stand but his face lights up when he sees Azula’s amber eyes. He asks about a boy that neither of them have heard of; he speaks of old traditions as if they’re all he knows.   
When he pushes himself up on his bending they understand why. The earth kingdom soldiers don’t get the chance to find them; Uncle Iroh dragging the three of them, and the bison onto a ship two hours later.

Katara is a master bender. Sokka doesn’t even need to have spent time watching her spar to know that. He’s trained enough with the other warriors to know her stance is that of a master. When she suggests going to the Northern tribe; to learn more, he scoffs.  
“What could you possibly need to know that Master Hamma has not taught you already?”  
“They know healing. It's why their warriors are never injured; it's why they run into battle so blindly.”  
“They have no fear of lasting effect.” Sokka launches his boomerang and once it returns he nicks his thumb on it.  
“They should know everything comes back.” He watches Katara shift her footing; he extends his thumb watching as the blood coats over the wound but does not freeze. It stays like that for five minutes.  
“Impressive; there’s no moon out tonight. Very good.” Hamma hums from her hut and then gestures for them to come inside.  
“We have evidence that the Avatar has awoken. That a travelling ship has given him provisions; that he’ll be travelling to the northern tribe.”  
“Will it be enough?” Sokka cuts in, and Hamma nods. Katara and him grin.  
“The Avatar will be more than enough to gain your parent’s and the tribe’s freedom.”

Master Paukku allows them to explain. They’re brought before the royal family. Katara asks for training, in all forms of waterbending they offer. Master Pakku refuses. Telling her she has no need to learn waterbending.  
“There are no waterbenders in the Southern Tribe. Besides, can't you learn forms from whoever is there to remember them?” Master Paukku grins, and Katara swallows the insults.  
“Master; If I may.” Sokka speaks and he nods, Sokka sighs, continuing.  
“What my sister means is; there are tales of Waterbenders being able to use water in plants to manipulate them; and the north is so skilled in healing. She wishes to learn that.”  
“And what use is the princess and prince of the Southern tribes to us? A kingdom impenetrable; we have our own royal family; what can you offer us.” Master Pakku sneers and Katara’s stance shifts. Sokka knows this won’t end well. Yue stands; walking down towards them; to stand behind them. Sokka grimaces as he can feel his arm moving. Feeling himself unsheathing his sword, drawing it to rest in front of Yue’s throat.  
“The swamps have their plant manipulation; the north their healing; and the south. That you so easily dismiss. We have blood bending.” Katara releases Sokka and he draws his sword across his own arm as he sheathes it. Katara pulls his blood; it jerks his arm a little; her force. But the whip she creates, using it to strike Master Paukku’s feet; is something that makes everyone in the room gasp in horror. Yue curls into his arms and hides her face.  
“I’m sorry.” Sokka mumbles to her.


End file.
